Disillusionment Of American Dreams In The Human Stain

Philip Roth (1933-), one of the most influential contemporary Jewish American writers, published The Human Stain, the last book of his famous "American Trilogy" in 2000. Set in a series of historical events in American society from the 1940s to the 1990s, the novel narrates the dreams of three main characters and their living state, and presents a panorama of contemporary American society.American Dream has been one of the most important themes of American literature. In order to escape religious persecution or pursue economic affluence, numerous immigrants arrived in America and attempted to establish "A City upon a Hill", a religious utopia or "vale of plenty", an earthly paradise. With the development of American society, American Dream has been endowed with different connotations. In The Human Stain, dreams of Coleman, Delphine and Lester reflect American social background and its specific connotations at that time.Based on American political, social and cultural background and with careful reading of the novel, the thesis intends to analyze The Human Stain from the perspective of American dream so as to explore the specific connotations of the three main characters'dreams and roots that result in the disillusionment of their dreams. Apart from introduction and conclusion, the thesis consists of three chapters. Chapter One expounds the American dreams of Coleman, Delphine and Lester respectively. Based on different historical and cultural backgrounds, their American dreams were endowed with different connotations, namely, Coleman's dream of freedom, Delphine's dream of success and Lester's dream of happiness. Chapter Two explores three main characters'disillusioned American dreams under the dilemmas between dreams and realities. Their dreams are disillusioned in tragic death, spiritual wandering and social foundling respectively. Chapter Three analyzes the social roots that result in the disillusionment of their American dreams. Their dreams are shattered by political correctness in the 1990s, the conflict between American individualism and French traditional culture, and trauma of the Vietnam War.Although the American dreams of the three main characters are different in content, they are the same in essence. They hope to assimilate into American mainstream society and establish an ideal existence, but their dreams end in disillusionment finally. Actually their dreams are shattered by irreconcilable contradictions in contemporary American society. America is no longer the promised land based on freedom, democracy and equality, but a disillusioned place full of paradox of equality and discrimination. Roth believes that American dream, as national creed and individual ideal, is a nightmare for certain contemporary marginalized American minorities in The Human Stain.